We can face any challenge now

I RACED 350 miles across the Arctic - and I won.

Lowri Morgan, 39, is an ultramarathon runner who lives in Cardiff with her husband Sion, 37, a TV producer.

Every ultramarathon runner has a motto. It’s what keeps them going in their darkest moments. Mine is: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”

Those words kept me moving forward when 50 miles into a 140-mile race through the Amazon jungle I stepped on a hornets’ nest and was stung repeatedly.

On top of the hornets and the extreme distance I was competing in 90 per cent humidity and had to swim through anaconda snake-infested rivers. Despite all this, racing in the Jungle Marathon was still one of the best, most humbling experiences of my life.

My parents say I’ve always been fearless, even as a child. My brother and I were brought up going on adventure holidays so I’ve always enjoyed pushing boundaries.

When I was 10 I joined my father running around our village and loved it. In my teens I ran for my school and while studying music at university I joined the women’s rugby team and went on to earn six caps playing for Wales.

Aged 19 I broke my tibula and fibula and suffered ligament damage. I spent a year having treatment but in 1995, 18 months after coming off crutches, I ran my first marathonin New York.

After that I started working as a children’s TV presenter and my boss asked if the network could fi lm me training for another marathon.

Once I’d run that marathon I wanted a new challenge and ended up training for an Ironman triathlon. Then in 2008 I was asked to do theJungle Marathon in the Amazon.

My training went from running 30 miles a week to 100 miles with 15 kilos on my back. It was tough but it was worth it. Out of 140 competitors only 50 finished. Not only was I one of the finishers but I was the second-fastest amateur. It was a euphoric experience.

My biggest challenge was without doubt the 6633 Extreme Winter Ultra Marathon in 2011 where 35 participants ran 350 miles across the Arctic in just seven days.

I did months of preparation. I’d leave the house at 8.30am and would return home at 6.30pm just as Sion was getting in from work. I ran up Snowdon three times in one session and to prepare for the cold I sat in an industrial freezer.

I trained with Special Forces, who blindfolded me and told me to take my cooker apart over and over again. By the end I could assemble it and get it going in 30 seconds.

They also taught me how to dress, set up my tent and the importance of closing every zip on my clothing to avoid getting frostbite.

On that start line I wasn’t the fastest runner or strongest competitor but I knew for sure that I was the best prepared.

I slept only 12 hours that whole week but when

I realised I was the only runner left I knew the pain of failure would last far longer than the pain I was suffering at that moment.

When I crossed the finish line I looked down at my feet and said thank you.

Only eight people have ever completed the race and to finish was a euphoric experience.

That amazing feeling at the end is part of why I do it but I also like the camaraderie among participants. You aren’t there to compete.

You’re there to survive. Mostly I run just for pleasure these days but I haven’t given up the ultras quite yet.

I’m running the Ring O’ Fire marathon, a 131-mile coastal race in north Wales, next month.

Tough obstacle course helped me shed the pounds.

Rebecca Jones, 39, a civil servant, lives in London with her husband Dean, also 39, an IT contractor. She completed her first Tough Mudder extreme obstacle race this year.

Earlier this year I started working with a personal trainer. One day she told me she was putting together a team for a Tough Mudder event and asked me to join.

When I heard that the 12-mile course includes 21 obstacles such as plunging into freezing cold water, scaling 6ft walls and crawling through mud, I didn’t think I had the strength or stamina to complete it.

The worst bit was definitely towards the end where we were faced with a curtain of dangling live electric wires. We lined up and ran through it as a team and while I came off well my trainer received a massive shock to her calf which threw her to the flo

Civil servant Rebecca Jones

However, my trainer convinced me that if I stuck to her strict plan I’d be prepared so I decided to go for it.

I’d completed the London marathon in 2012 so I was used to running but I had to completely change my training style and start lifting weights and doing interval training to build up my stamina.

The race last month was very tough. I got cramp around mile eight and there were times when I didn’t think I could go on.

The worst bit was definitely towards the end where we were faced with a curtain of dangling live electric wires. We lined up and ran through it as a team and while I came off well my trainer received a massive shock to her calf which threw her to the floor.

When it was finished it was a massive relief but I was also very proud. For me the best bit was working as a team and challenging myself.

As a bonus, training for the event really changed my body shape. I lost 1st 7lb and I now have a waist and defined arms. Most of all I feel strong.

Immediately after the event I swore I’d never do it again but a few weeks on and I’m already thinking of signing up for another.

Take your workout to the extreme

Ultramarathon

Any marathon that involves running for longer than the traditional 26.2miles becomes an ultramarathon.

There are two types: races that take place with specific time constraints such has how far a competitor can run in 24 hours and races that cover a specific distance.

Competitors push themselves to the limit on foot, on a bike and in the water.

It puts both stamina and strength to the test as those taking part use their whole bodies to complete the event. Participants in Ironman UK triathlons complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.